Since man first began to care for his weak and infirm brethern, the problem of moving such people from one location to another, whether for their pleasure or for necessity, has been of concern. The age old method of having two aids, orderlies, or other persons with adequate strength to support the person being moved continues to be the most universal method. Due to the expense of having assistants available is becoming more and more prohibitive from a cost standpoint.
Lifts of various types have been devised for transferring and moving incapacitated and partially incapacitated persons including large contraptions with arms and sling-like members which are raised and lowered by either hydraulic, electrical or mechanical means. These systems almost invariably are large and awkward, require at least two persons to operate, and are extremely expensive to buy.
Another problem encountered is even the simple chores such as moving a patient from a bed to a chair can involve a considerable amount of work and staff time and yet does not justify the use of presently known mechanical transfer means.